3. Paintings

Major Concept: Westward Expansion
Essential Questions: What is Manifest Destiny?
How does the photograph American Progress represent Manifest Destiny?
American Progress

Social Studies Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Grade 5.21A Culture. The student understands the relationship between the arts and the times during which they were created. The student will identify significant examples of art, music, and literature from various periods in U. S. History such as the painting American Progress, "Yankee Doodle", and "Paul Revere's Ride."

(Commons.wikimedia.org)

4. Objects

s"Objects make powerful connections as an opener. Objects make links to the past. Think of an object from a time period. Objects from the past can tell much about the people who owned them, their values, and the time, place, and even economic conditions of the time. Objects such as museum artifacts, realia, unusual objects, and everyday objects can draw students into a problem for inquiry. Museum artifacts or reproductions of artifacts can connect students to the past in concrete ways. Realia, such as a train ticket can act as a story starter that makes the time, place, and people come alive. An unusual object can come from another culture or time period and serve as a puzzle. The students can use the unusual object to problem-solve and figure out how the object was made or how it is used." *(p. 58).

5. Podcasts

Podcasts, especially of radio programs which tell a story, can be powerful connections. Look for stories that illustrate your big idea. Try RadioLabs, iTunes, or NPR for podcasts that evoke an emotional response to the subject and make your students look at information in a different way.

What are some of your favorite ways to "hook" students into a subject?

One librarian used Pokemon cards to introduce the idea that Information is Organized. She told the students they could begin the lesson by playing Pokemon. Once they began sorting their cards into groups, she stopped them and asked them to explain their grouping pattern to the other students. Then she placed a stack of books on each table. Each stack had at least 2 ways they could be sorted. She asked students to sort the books on the tables. This led to a discussion that information is organized.

How will you build on your hook to encourage students to brainstorm big ideas?

How can you help them connect with their world? Remember the Third Space where curriculum goals meet student's background knowledge?

One way is to use topics of interest to students to help them make connections. For example, Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOs or MMOGs) are very popular now. Several books like 39 Clues, Skeleton Creek, and Chopstix have tie ins to MMOs. How can you use these books to help students make connections?

Change Your Focus from:

"What does the teacher want me to do?" to "Why is this relevant/important to me?"

Establish your inquiry stance

by accepting all answers.....even if you know them to be wrong. You can correct those later. Here is one example. (p. 54)

Modeling the inquiry process with students

How are you identifying connections and misconceptions students may have?

How are you encouraging divergent thinking, opposing viewpoints, and an inquiry stance? (p. 55)

Listening

Describe how you are encouraging students to generate good ideas and questions that incorporate students's background knowlege.

Are you listening for connections and misconceptions students may have? You should not correct those yet, but give students an opportunity through the inquiry process to learn what is correct. (p. 56)

Encouraging

What is the learner doing?

"Collaborating and Conversing in their inquiry community before constructing their initial thoughts and understandings about the topic. Conversation calls upon the students to express thier thoughs about what they know that is sparked by the opener. Coversing helps them think through new ideas that have stimulated their coursity, Conversation that leads to learning occurs in a safe environment where students know they cna try out ideas and change thier minds." (p. 56)